The Civil war disrupted Mrs Pauline Oshunrinde’s education but did not kill her desire to be educated. Despite being the first and the only girl among 10 children, her tenacity inspired her to start an adult education centre – where she was also a student – and eventually, a primary and secondary school 30 years ago. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE reports on her experience.andshe wore to commemorate Nigeria’s Independence last Tuesday. She had turned 70 just two days before.
However, her secondary school education at the Ernest James Grammar School, was cut short in Form Three when the Civil War started. What Mrs Oshunrinde lacked in education, she gave her children – ensuring they attended the best schools and closely monitoring their progress. “The Adult education centre came in 1989 when I was exactly 40 and had had all of my children, six of them. So I went into it in that building downstairs . All the people that were hungry for education, women, married and business men, we were all in that class. They never knew I was the owner. So that was how I continued and we worked and studied as a team.
“The adult education centre transited into a secondary education centre because of the way it was run. The teachers were good. The centre attracted a lot of people and they were satisfied. So they started telling the teachers that can’t the owner make this place a secondary school,” she said.